Developing Focus Plans for Athletes

Confident, relaxed athletes tell themselves things like “I can do this” or “I’ve trained well.” They DON’T say “There’s no way I can make that jump” or “I wish the wind wasn’t blowing so hard.” They DON’T dwell on things that might go wrong, stress them, or distract them. As a coach, you are responsible for preparing athletes to remain positive in the heat of the action and focused on the task at hand. A focus plan is an essential part of that preparation.

Focus plans are detailed plans setting out when and how athletes will work on all the different thoughts and emotions they need to manage to perform well. Focus plans train athletes to focus effectively on each aspect of their sport or event by helping them deal with distractions by using techniques such as visualization and goal setting.

CREATING A FOCUS PLAN:

The process of creating a focus plan is one of the most collaborative things you can do with your athlete to help them perform at their best. Athletes need to be aware of what works best for them; one of your main jobs as a coach is to help them discover that.

To develop a focus plan, start the process by:

Asking athletes to reflect on one of their best races, games, or performances. What were they thinking and feeling?

Asking athletes to do the same for a not-so-great race, game, or performance. This will begin to tell you about what focus is best for the individual athlete.

Then, work with your athletes to translate the information you collected into a focus plan. Here are some questions you can ask to call on your athletes’ self-awareness and get at THEIR best focus.

What do you need to be thinking about to perform well?

What do you need to be feeling to perform well?

What distractions do you have to be able to handle to perform well?

What skills do you need to be able to apply to perform well?

Asking pertinent questions is the key to finding out what’s happening with your athletes. You need to ask good questions, questions that get at what’s really going on, and you have to listen to and probe your athletes’ answers. This is an ongoing process of learning and self-discovery for you and your athletes, as you learn together what works and what doesn’t.

SAMPLE FOCUS PLAN:

The following sample focus plan for canoe/kayak uses key words to ensure the athletes remain focused and on task. Note that it outlines the typical aspects of a race and that shorter events may not require as many points or phases.

Thinking about…

Feeling…

At the start:

Sit up

Wait for the gun

First 4 strokes deep and powerful

Strong core and legs

Calm and relaxed

Stroke transition:

Reach and power

Stroke up front

Controlled breathing

Relaxed in the shoulders

Stretched out

Throughout the race:

Strong core and legs

Controlled breathing

Efficient

In control

Stroke pick-ups:

Powerful pushes on footboard

Legs down

Finish each stroke

Powerful

At the finish line:

Lock the legs

Work it all

It’s good!!!

SKILLS TO COMPLEMENT OR INCLUDE IN A FOCUS PLAN:

To support the creation of a focus plan, consider these tips on visualization, dealing with distractions, and goal-setting.

Tips for incorporating visualization

Visualization must be positive. This is the ONLY RULE about visualization. There is no point visualizing a poor performance, a mistake, bad technique, an injury, etc.

Work with your athletes to find out what works best for them. Some athletes can see themselves executing a skill or remembering a past good performance; for others, it’s more of a feeling.